This is your last brand-new weekend reading of 2015--look for a roundup of our favorite stories of the year next Thursday (since we'll be doing something else on Friday). Happy holidays, and as always, have a great weekend!

News By Bike: Links for You to Read (Dec 11)

Friday, 11 December 2015 13:37

Looking for some weekend reading? Look no further than these links we thought were worth sharing this week:

#LongForTheRide: Texas' Bike-Winning Fifth Grader

Many congratulations to Uzziel Rangel of Bonner Elementary in Tyler, the statewide winner of the Saris 2015 Fifth Grade National Poster Contest.

Uzziel and his father put his new bicycle together this week. George Brigman, Uzziel's teacher, says, "Uzziel Rangel is so excited about winning in the Saris Bike Poster contest. He was talking about how he would protect it – try to keep from getting any scratches and keep it beside his bed. Uzziel tries his best all the time and has great manners."

According to Mr. Brigman, all of his students enjoy Saris' annual contest: "Bonner does have great artists who try their best. This is a contest that all the fifth graders look forward too."

Thank you to all the teachers in Texas who submitted posters to the Saris 2015 Fifth Grade National Poster Contest! See all the Texas posters here, and check back soon to hear more about the second and third place winners!

Thank you Saris Parking, maker of bicycle parking systems and racks for hosting the contest for the fifth year. In their words, "Our #longfortheride campaign blossomed from our own admiration and commitment to cycling in the United States. Riding a bike is not only good for the soul, it benefits the health, wellness, safety and vitality of a community. What better way to display the bicycle’s importance than by asking kids to show us what they love about the bicycle. There’s just something inexplicable that happens each time you reach for the handlebars. And as they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words."

Photos: Uzziel and his new bike; Uzziel with his brothers and sisters

Takin' Care of Business: Two More Texas Businesses Join the Bike-Friendly List

And at SILVER: San Antonio River Authority, who among many other things are also responsible for some of the parks we love visiting in San Antonio.

We couldn't be prouder of these two businesses entering the list in such stellar fashion! Althogether, the 28 Texas businesses on the list represent 10 cities and 142,759 Texas employees. Keep up the great work, Texas businesses!

Photo: A rider learns how to use the 3-place bike racks, now standard on all Capital Metro buses, at Austin BikeFest.

United Services Automobile Association (USAA), San Antonio, Professional Services

Bronze:

Asakura Robinson Company LLC, Houston, Professional Services

Bikesport, Houston, Bicycle Industry

City of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Non-Profit/Government

HomeAway, Austin, Professional Services

Lake Flato Architects, San Antonio, Architecture/Planning/Design

San Antonio Bike Share, San Antonio, Bicycle Industry

Texas Instruments Inc., Plano, Manufacturing/Research

Wheatsville Food Co-op, Austin, Hospitality/Food/Retail

FAST Act Passed! Send Your U.S. Rep an Email

Congress passed the new federal transportation law-- Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act--last week, and the president signed it on Friday.

The good news? Despite many attacks on active transportation funding throughout the process, dedicated funding remains for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, as well as education and safety goals. For the first time, states will be required to report back on the progress they're making toward reducing active transportation fatalities, and highway builders for all US DOT roads must consider all users when planning a roadway. These are tremendous steps forward for the federal bill.

There are still concerns with the FAST Act-- TxDOT will still be allowed to transfer some dedicated bike/ped money to other uses, and for the first time, large MPOs will be allowed to do the same. US DOT will write guidance for states and communities on how to best implement the new laws, and then it will be up to TxDOT and Texas MPOs to write their own policies within the new law. We'll be there every step of the way to remind them that Texans want great places to bike and walk.

Now is a great time to remind our members of Congress that people who bike are also people who vote! How did your representative vote on the FAST Act? See below for the list of who in the Texas delegation voted yes or no on this bill. If your representative voted yes, send a quick email to say thanks! If he or she voted no, it's still a good time to reach out and share your concerns. See suggested talking points below for thanks or concern. Not sure who your representatives are? Check out Who Represents Me? to find your U.S. representative, plus links to both Texas senators.

Thank you for staying in contact with your representatives during this process. You make a difference!

Photo: Texas delegation at the 2015 National Bike Summit with Senator Cornyn.

We've found the following format to be useful when contacting elected officials:

To say THANK YOU:

1. My name is _________ and my occupation is __________. I live and ride my bike in District ___.

2. Thank you for voting for H.R. 22. This law allows for dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, as well as education and safety programs that benefit people who walk and ride bikes. I appreciate that you supported this bill.

3. [Tell the representative why this is important to you-- do your kids ride? Do you rely on a bike for transportation? Do you ride for your health? Keep it to 1-2 sentences.]

4. Thank you again for supporting people who walk and ride bikes in Texas.

To share your concerns:

1. My name is _________ and my occupation is __________. I live and ride my bike in District ___.

2. I'm sorry to hear that you did not support H.R. 22. This law allows for dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, as well as education and safety programs that benefit people who walk and ride bikes. Since I ride a bike in your district, I would have hoped for your support.

3. [Tell the representative why this is important to you-- do your kids ride? Do you rely on a bike for transportation? Do you ride for your health? Keep it to 1-2 sentences.]

FAST Act is Now Law

Monday, 07 December 2015 14:26

After many delays, short-term extensions, and plenty of disagreement, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was passed by Congress and signed by the president last week. The FAST Act is the first long-term transportation bill passed in a decade.

This program is the most prominent funding source for biking and walking infrastructure projects. The FAST bill makes some policy changes:

The Good:

Nonprofit organizations are now eligible to apply for funds. This makes it easier for nonprofits to do safety and education for Safe Routes to School programs. It also means that nonprofits who run bike share programs can apply directly.Funding increases from $820 million to $835 million in 2016 and 2017 and to $850 million in 2018, 2019, and 2020.The program maintains its competitive nature.

The Bad:

Metropolitan areas that get their own funding can use half of it for roads and bridges. However, that funding would still have to go through a competitive process.

Change in Name

The funding program is no longer a stand-alone program. It is no longer the Transportation Alternatives program; it is now a set-aside in the larger Surface Transportation Block Grant Program. We’ll have to find a better way to reference it.

New Bicycle and Pedestrian education program

The FAST Act creates a priority safety fund to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. The program will focus on:

education of law enforcement;education of motorists, drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians; andimplementation of enforcement campaigns.Only states in which 15% or more of overall fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians will receive funds. Last year Congress passed a directive to require states and metropolitan areas to set goals for reducing bicyclist and pedestrian crashes and fatalities. This new program will help states fund that work.

Complete Streets

The FAST Act directs the US DOT to encourage states and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to set design standards to accommodate all road users. It also requires the US DOT to produce a report on implementation and best practices in two years.

Design Guidelines

The bill also broadens the guidelines state can use when designing roads, and gives local jurisdictions the right to choose different guides from the state in certain circumstances. This allows local governments, who often want to be more progressive, the opportunity to do so.

Many thanks to the League and others who were on the scene in D.C. to put the pressure on Congress to include active transportation in this bill and to send out alerts when it looked like things might be going badly. And a special thanks to YOU for responding quickly to our Action Alerts and contacting your representatives. You made a difference on this bill!